Yesterday in What Else? I linked to a story about Angelina Jolie dating a secret British billionaire, which originated from Life & Style so, basically, bullsh-t. Yesterday afternoon Entertainment Tonight reported that Angelina does actually have a boyfriend – but he’s not a British billionaire: 

A source tells ET that although "it's not serious," the 42-year-old actress is "seeing" someone, marking her first potential relationship since calling it quits from her estranged husband, Brad Pitt, in September 2016 after two years of marriage.
"Brad and Angie are both very secretive about their dating life. Angie has told some friends she isn't ready to date, but she has been seeing a handsome, older-looking man who is a real estate agent," the source claims. "He isn't a celebrity or high profile in any way."

"Angie was in a very bad place after [her] split [from Brad]," the source adds. "Just having another adult to spend time with has been helpful."

The source says that Pitt has also moved on, and any possibility of him getting back together with Jolie is highly unlikely. 

"People talk about them reuniting, but it will never happen," the source tells us. "Things between Brad and Angie really ended poorly, and while they've attempted therapy with the [six] children [they share], they can barely be in the same room together."

"He has made changes in his life since the split," the source said. "When they first split, he spent a lot of time at home and was often very down about what was going on. He was a homebody for many months, but in the last month or two, he’s been going out more. He enjoys going out to eat with close friends."
"He's very private about who he’s seeing, but he does continue to casually date," the source added. "The women he sees are not in the public eye."

There’s a lot to unpack here. First – is Angelina really seeing a handsome “older-looking” real estate agent? This makes me laugh because if you’re the dude, if there really is a dude, and Angelina Jolie is actually giving you her time, and you’re now being described as “older-looking” but you may not actually be that old… how do you feel today now that we’re all calling you “older-looking”? 

So how legit is this? And, perhaps more significantly, where did it come from? 

Angelina, as we know, is a master media strategist. Her media strategy since World War Brange has been to put focus on her focus on her children. It’s been a year and a half since she and Brad Pitt announced their separation. So is she ready to move on from that kids-first messaging? Or… is this not her messaging to begin with? If it’s not hers, whose is it? 

Back in December, I posted about Brad Pitt’s birthday and how PEOPLE reported that he’s been casually dating. As I noted then, that smelled like a tentative rollout. PEOPLE followed up a couple of weeks ago with a nothingburger story about him being in a “better place”. That too smelled like it was part of a rollout. And now, two weeks later, we have this exclusive from ET, about Angelina Jolie with an unidentified, age-vague good-looking real estate agent, accompanied by details about how Brad goes out with friends more now and is casually dating but no one famous. 

Really? 

Because dating someone famous is, like, his favourite move. 

What does Angelina Jolie gain by having it known – if, again, there’s actually anything at all that needs to be known – that she may be dating again? Who gains more from her dating again? Last year there were all kinds of rumours flying around that Brad was dealing with Sienna Miller while Angelina was seen, over and over again, with their children, and he never was. Three months ago, we started seeing evidence of some kind of long game rollout as if to acclimate the public to the idea that Brad may have someone else in his life. Two weeks ago his sources are telling PEOPLE that he’s in a better place and is going out more, meeting people, re-engaging the Hollywood community. And we still haven’t seen him with his kids. If it’s out there that Angelina has a boyfriend, doesn’t it make it easier for him to have a girlfriend?